by Anti-Christ 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I don't think a person who goes thru life employing reason can ever really 'choose' what to believe.
I observe the sky to be blue, the grass to be green. Is there any real 'choice' concerning these observations? What I believe has been dictated to me by empirical evidence. My choice in believeing the opposite is gone.
In the end, once we start choosing what to believe, we have esentially abandoned reason. The reasoning mind is compelled by evidence.
Back when I was a dub, I would say the whole 1919 thing, and how the Society were the only ones preaching the basic core beliefs that JWs view as "the truth," namely, no hellfire, no trinity, and that Jesus was coming.
I've recently discovered that the man who's NUMEROLOGY led to the ENTIRE CONCEPT that we are "IN THE LAST DAYS" also believed that the design of the Great Pyramid in Egypt supports his NUMEROLOGY.
It didn't take information like that to make me know its bunk (I don't even believe in the Bible, why?, it sounds stupid, that's all I needed), but now this realization that this WHOLE organization is based of the crazy speculation of a NUMEROLOGIST who didn't even get his real dates right, and who has a fucking PYRAMID as a gravestone, and the organization has predicted actual dates numerous times, wrong, yet keeps on kicking. I'm really, really in awe. Truly, if something sounds stupid, it probably is.
It didn't take information like that to make me know its bunk (I don't even believe in the Bible, why?, it sounds stupid, that's all I needed), but now this realization that this WHOLE organization is based of the crazy speculation of a NUMEROLOGIST who didn't even get his real dates right, and who has a fucking PYRAMID as a gravestone, and the organization has predicted actual dates numerous times, wrong, yet keeps on kicking. I'm really, really in awe. Truly, if something sounds stupid, it probably is.
That's why I say it's important to look at WHY you believe something. If what the JW believe is stupid then ask yourself why so many people believe it. Like I said, I knew from an early age that something was wrong with the JW and the bible but the reasons I kept on believing was mainly fear and manipulation of information. That's what we call mind control.
Good question . I took my time thinking on "WHY" I believed , time ago.
I realised that I have more than one "BECAUSE", during my time in the JW's.
In my childhood I believed BECAUSE every kid believe the parents.
In my teen age I believed BECAUSE I had not strong personality, and being in the group was cheering me.
In my 20-35 I believed BECAUSE I had no access to any sources to validate as reliable the WTS doctrine.
AoD
That is exactly what the Washtowel Slaveholdery does not want people to do. Once you start asking yourself why you believe what they teach, it's only a matter of time before you are going to start using independent sources to reference it. And that's when you are going to go apostate.
Yes, definitely. Each of us has his own 'BECAUSE', function of time and space.
Somebody else put up this chart on th e board and I nicked it. The chart shows so clearly the circle of reasoning, "We believe because it is The Truth" "We know it is the truth because we believe it to be so" Why? "Because it is, don't be silly"..You can spend your life following it being busy in the congregation, doing jobs preparing talks, and never really consider objectively , WHY?
I appreciate all your comments. Thanks BluesBrother for that chart, it illustrate what I'm trying to say. We focus sometimes to much on the what and forget the why. It can be applied to a lot of things, not only our beliefs but also the way we live.
